Changes
by PrincessCharmed15
Summary: Maddie's younger sister, The beautiful vivacious powder-puff prom queen Maxxie, takes an interest in Zack. But will Maddie ever really be able to give her blessing?
1. The Return Of The Fitzpatrick

Maddie pulled her suitcase through the doors of the Tipton and looked around the familiar setting. She watched the girl behind the sweet counter hurriedly handing over candy and dropping coins clumsily and smiled, seeing her fifteen year old self all over again. When her hair was almost brown, she thought that clogs were extremely fashionable and she spent all her time with-

"MADDIE FITZPATRICK?"

"London!" she smiled, London Tipton looked identical to how she had 4 years before. She was wearing a pink kaftan and flicked her jet black hair over her petite shoulders; it seemed London had never made it to college. No surprises.

"You look very…old" said London with raised eyebrows.

"Thanks, London" said Maddie with a laugh, "you haven't changed one bit"

London shrugged and threw her a winning smile.

"Get a move on, Madeline!"

"Madeline?" London cocked her head to the side.

Maxxie Fitzpatrick shot her a million watt smile, her bouncy blonde hair tied up in red ribbons appearing from behind Maddie. She was an identical younger version of Maddie, but with whiter teeth and darker skin. She was taller than Maddie by a few inches and her white summer dress made her look simply angelic, next to Maddie's Yale hoody she hadn't quite been able to take off since her graduation.

Maddie grimaced at her, "My sister; Maxxie" She introduced reluctantly.

Zack and Cody bounded out of the elevator and Maddie dropped her case with a clatter.

"BOYS!"

"MADDIE!"

The lanky teenagers looked older and taller even than they had done the previous Christmas, it seemed they never stopped growing. They also looked less similar to each other, Cody's face was skinnier and gaunter than ever and Zack's had lost his puppy fat but was covered in manly stubble.

"Hey sweet thang" Zack winked.

"How was graduation?" Cody asked excitedly, "what was it like? I can't believe you were the valedictorian of _Yale_!"

Zack made a face, "Yeah, who knew Maddie was a dork like you!"

Maddie grinned at her boys; it had only been 6 months but being away from them made her want to stay in Boston for ever.

"It'll be you in a few years time, Cody" she smiled ruffling his hair, "and you…"

Zack grinned hopefully, his face lit up with cheekiness and the orthodontists good work twinkling out at her like white pearls, "I'll just try to get to _through_ college, shall I?"

Maddie laughed, "Maybe, but Zack you could do so well if you just appl-"

But she'd lost Zack's attention already; his eyes were like big round saucers and his jaw was hanging open as if a fly could take up residence on his tongue and he might not even notice.

"Who is _THAT_?" he whispered, following his gaze she sighed dramatically.

"I have to meet her, how can I get her attention?" He wondered aloud.

"Here" said Maddie with a groan, "I'll show you, MAXXIE!"

Maxxie looked up from her cell phone and scowled at her sister angrily, "What?"

"Get over here"

"I'm busy?" she snapped and put her phone back to her ear.

"Billy Fisher, ninth grade" Maddie called.

Maxxie clicked her phone off in an instant, "Always a pleasure, Madeline"

As Maxxie approached Zack made an involuntary whimper, "She's gorgeous" he muttered. Cody shrugged disinterestedly, but Zack was enthralled.

"This is my sister, Maxxie this is Zack and Cody Martin, the boys I told you about?"

Maxxie cocked her head to the side, "the kids from the hotel? Madeline I hate to tell you but these boys aren't kids, are they the right ones? "

Zack nodded, "Damn right, pretty lady. And how old would you be?"

She smiled, "I'm 18, are you too?"

"19, gorgeous" Zack took her arm, "Why haven't I seen you around?"

Maddie watched Zack, who was a good head taller than her little sister, guide her off into the dining hall, whilst Maxxie's perfectly lacquered hair bobbed up and down with flirtatious giggles.

Why didn't that surprise her? Maxxie had only been there ten minutes and she was going to get into someone's pants.

"Madeline?" Her mother waved her case in the air.

Her heart sank, she'd almost forgotten this was a family holiday; she was back in the past. Her mother chided her and she joined the rest of her family. Jenny, Liam, Catherine and Michael crowded around in mindless chatter but Maxxie was no where to be seen.

"Madeline, where is Maxine?" her father asked impatiently.

Maddie shrugged, she was tired of being bossed around by her family. She was 22 years old, for Pete's sake, it was pathetic. "I'm not her babysitter" she snapped and stalked off, her suitcase dragging behind her.

Zack watched as beautiful Maxxie Fitzpatrick tossed her hair and laughed shrilly, sipping through a straw as the swimming pool reflected in her grey eyes. All the boys, and men, around the pool were watching her as she leaned in towards Zack, putting her hand on his knee and pouted through her cherry coloured lips.

"Oh, Zack, you're so funny" she cried.

"I try my best" he winked, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back, knowing she'd be watching him if he looked out over the pool. After years of knowing just what women wanted, Zack Martin was a woman's dream, unlike Cody who was still clueless.

"So there's a concert tonight, my favourite band are playing, you wanna come?" Maxxie asked touching Zack's leg slightly. _Bingo_.

Zack thought it was terribly uncanny how this confident, flirtatious 18 year old looked so much like Maddie, but acted so different. Maddie would have been rapped up in a hoody, through fear of getting burnt, whereas Maxxie had already stripped off her top and showed a lean stomach, Maddie would _not_ have a belly piercing either. What's more, Maddie would never have been so forward. Zack thought all of his Christmases had come at once.


	2. Future Unknown

Future Unknown

"Ok, that's fine. Thank you for calling…You too. Goodbye" Maddie clicked her mobile phone off and threw it at the bed in anger, it bounced back off and hit the floor and the cover cracked off.

Damn it, she couldn't even get that right.

Having her own room in the Tipton was strange, they'd have never afforded it back when she worked there but her father had come in to a lot more money just after she'd gone away to Yale (go figure) and had brought the whole family on one last trip before…well before they spent it all.

She was sharing a room with Maxxie but god knows where she had got to.

She was probably being serenaded by Zack Martin.

Weird.

So she had the room all to herself to cry mercifully and punch her pillow over and over without her sister thinking she was a crazy-woman. The job she had secured at a law firm in New York had just rung to tell her that they'd gone under and couldn't take her on anymore, which meant, at 22 years old, she was without job prospects or a steady income.

She was, what one might call, screwed.

She buried her head in the pillow and kicked a few times in frustration, after an hour of tossing and turning, trying to fall into a nap she gave up and flicked the television on.

She thought about Maxxie who, at midnight still had not arrived back to the room.

Was she really out with Zack Martin, still?

She had better get back soon or she would go out and find her. She spent all of her time with Zack for days, Zack hadn't even hit on her the whole time she'd been back at the Tipton. She'd seen them down by the pool, she'd seen them wrestling playfully in the lobby. He hadn't even winked at her like he usually did and called her 'sweet thang' since the first day she arrived back.

It's probably a good thing; they all knew he had to get over that silly crush on her.

Although, he hadn't had a crush on her since he was fifteen. He flirted with her, but he flirted with every female between 15 and 30…sometimes over.

Did he only flirt with her now because she was a girl?

Had he actually got over it years ago?

After-all, he was 19 years old now. He was practically a man.

What was she saying, had she seen him lately? She'd seen him leading her little sister around the hotel like a protective boyfriend, his hand on the small of her back with the right amount of respect whilst maintaining that intimacy, small smiles and knowing when to be quiet, but keeping those cheeky winks now and again, when it was appropriate. He was every inch the man.

He didn't have that stupid crush on her, he hadn't since he was a child.

She shouldn't take this away from her younger sister.

Maddie put her head back on the pillow and started to sob quietly.

Why not, she was 22 and jobless after all.


	3. Enter Madeline, Cue Confusion

Enter Madeline, cue confusion

"So, what shall we do today, m'lady?" Zack said as the door to the Maxxie's suite swung open, he leant on the door frame with casual elegance.

"Zack?" Maddie croaked groggily.

"Maddie?"

Maddie scraped the hair out of her face and nodded.

"Shit, sorry, I thought you were Maxxie.

"No problem" she shrugged, "Max is in the shower, come on in"

Zack cursed himself as he crossed the threshold, and sat on the sofa with an awkward stance, tapping his foot on the floor.

This was weird.

Maddie smiled at him with a questioning look as he realised he'd been staring at her; he felt as if she was measuring him up for Maxxie. What's more, Maddie looked too much like Maxxie; he couldn't see them together without making some kind of stupid mistake.

He suddenly understood what it was like for his mother.

"I'm sorry she's taking so long" said Maddie passing him a cup of coffee, "where are you two going today?"

Zack shrugged, "Bit of this, bit of that. I'm going to surprise her."

"Aren't you the charmer" she grinned.

"As ever" he bowed courtly, "at your service, Maddie Fitzpatrick"

She laughed, "Why thank you, good sir."

He picked up the TV remote flicked it on, a song started to play out from the speakers.

"Would you care for this dance, Miss Fitzpatrick?" He held out hand which she took gladly.

"Why, I'd be delighted, Sir Martin" she smiled and reverted back to her normal voice, "do you remember when you taught me to dance before Prom?"

Zack laughed, "Yeah, except for then it was _me _that came up to _your_ chest! Not that I was complaining"

Maddie pushed him, "Shut up, you dork!"

"You're the dork" said Zack pushing back.

"No you are!" cried Maddie pushing him harder, they lapsed into giggles and Zack put his hand on her waist again, swaying her slowly, "You're still a good dancer" she added.

"You still aren't" he pointed out as she accidentally stepped on his toe.

"Shit- sorry" she apologised.

"Shut up" he said swinging her faster, twirling her and pulling her back. Her hands landed on his chest and she looked up into his face, breathing heavily. A few silent moments passed until he stepped back.

"And that's how you do _that, _okay? Ok, right. Maxxie! You're ready! Let's go"

And with that he grabbed Maxxie's wrist and pulled her out the door in a few swift seconds before Maddie had a chance to call, "Take a sweater!"

Zack pulled out the chair for Maxxie to sit down and sat down opposite her, chewing on his nails and tapping his foot on the stony floor impatiently.

"What's up?" said Maxxie leaning back and applying some lip-gloss, "you're all jittery"

"No, I'm not" he snapped, "I'm fine"

"Ok" shrugged Maxxie, "What do you want to eat?"

"I'm going to have the Salmon, it's my favourite" said Zack scanning the menu.

"Strange" said Maxxie, peering over the menu at her date, "That's my sister's favourite, too"

Zack watched the table and bit his lip, "Oh, really."

Pushing his peas around his plate, the peas he knew he definitely wouldn't eat, he watched Maxxie giggling girlishly and applying yet more lip-gloss. Her lips were pink and soft and shone like little shrimps, sure, but could she apply it any more? Strange, really, to see a girl that looked so much like Maddie doing such un-maddie things. Not that he was thinking about Maddie during his date with her little sister, not at all.

"What's your favourite…colour?" said Maxxie, seeming desperate to instigate conversation with the boy opposite her, which was odd seeing as it was usually him taking up the majority of the conversation.

'Huh?' Zack said distractedly, "Oh…erm, yellow"

"Mine's pink" she flashed a twinkling smile at him.

Go figure, Zack thought.

"Do you and Cody have the same favourites?" Maxxie asked, "Is his favourite colour yellow too?"  
Zack was so tired of her conversation he almost ate a pea.

He came to his senses and had an epiphany. If he tried to bore her, maybe she'd stop talking

"No, his is Green like the sweater on his favourite teddy when he was little, mine is Yellow like blonde hair, like mine and Cody's, My mom's is red like the dress she wore in the Tipton commercial and Maddie's is blue like her Tipton uniform" Zack remembered with a smile.

Maxxie cocked her head to the side, "how do you know that?"

Zack shrugged, "we go way back, way _way_ back"

"Figures" Maxxie shrugged.

"Why?" asked Zack.

"Well, you haven't stopped talking about her all afternoon"

Zack's eyes widened, he had? He hadn't noticed. Had he mentioned her a few times? Sure, but she was the only person they both knew…surely that was usual…

"Zack…did you ever…you know, go out with my sister?"

Zack watched Maxxie pout in with her shrimp lips and toss her blonde curls, and he thought of Maddie in her dungarees and her honey coloured messy buns. He thought about the prom, he thought about that kiss when she'd been in that wedding dress and he'd had that stupid helmet on, and all those times that he'd wished she'd noticed him, and she'd left with some other guy.

"No" he replied after a few moments, "no I did not"


	4. A Slipup From The Past

A Slip-up from the past

Maddie strode into the lobby and shook her head to remove the image of Zack Martin, the fact that he'd been in the corner of her mind for hours was preposterous. It was simply nerves for what she was about to do.

"Mr Moseby?" she called. Moseby looked up from his desk, he was looking older and more tired, but with a softer face. Maybe it was those years of a Martin Twins-less Tipton.

"Madeline" he smiled, "May I tell you how great it is to have you back?"

"Thank you" she smiled, a warm feeling welling up in her chest, "I've missed everyone loads"

Moseby came round his desk and put his arm around Maddie's shoulders; "well Madeline, your job is always open" he smiled.

"Well that was what I was going to-"

"Oh, excuse me, Madeline" He bestowed a squeeze on her shoulders and went to answer a customer who was impatiently tapping on the desk.

Maddie cursed herself angrily. She needed this now, however pathetic it may seem.

"Maddie?" Zack's voice made her jump; she knew it was him because even though he and Cody looked similar their voices were totally different. And anyway- she spent the last 3 years talking on the phone to him regularly, she knew his voice.

"Hi, Zack" she said composing her self quickly.

"Are you ok?" he studied her face.  
"I'm fine" she said, a little too quickly. Maxxie was standing behind him, peering at Zack with her big baby blues.  
"Zacky?" Maddie was almost sick a little in her mouth, "Can we go to the pool now?" she shot maddie a look that said _what's your problem. _

"Sure," said Zack with a shrug, "I'll meet you there, ok?" Maxxie gave a dismissive shrug and flounced off down the corridor, her kitten heels clicking as she went. Zack studied Maddie's flushed face again.

"Seriously, you look really…flustered" He sat down next to her, and touched her knee, she flinched and wriggled.

"I'm fine, seriously. I'm fine. Totally" She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, aware that she was the world's worst liar.

"Ok, so now I _know_ you're not" He smiled, "What's up?"

"I'm-screwed!" she cried finally, "my-job-in-new-york-got-refused-at-the-last-minute-and-now-i-have-no-job-and-nowhere-to-live-and-i-don't-know-how-I'm-going-to-pay-my-loans-because-now-nowhere-will-take-me-and-i-was-going-to-get-my-job-back-here-but-I'm-22-for-petes-sake-its-pathetic-i-didn't-go-to-yale-to-serve-sweets-and anyway' Maddie took a deep breath, "I can't even ask for my job back because I tried and I couldn't do it"

Maddie gasped for breath after her explosion and wiped her face from a few tears; Zack put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug. Maddie wriggled a bit but succumbed, shaking slightly from some left over sobs.

"You're going to be ok" Zack repeated, "You're going to be just fine".

"I am?" she croaked, but as she said it she realised she wasn't really thinking about it anymore, she was just realising how strange it was to feel safe and protected by this big beefy man, who was really the little boy who followed her around like a puppy dog. They were hardly the same person. Zack kissed her lighting on the top of her head and she didn't even have the energy to pull away.

"Didn't go out with her?" Maxxie's voice cried from the other side of the lobby. She was watching the scene from the double doors out to the pool, already dressed in her snake-skin bikini and tottering towards them in her heels.

"You're a lying, sneaky _jerk_ Zack Martin!" she screeched, "and YOU" Maxxie snarled at her older sister who was still mopping her face whilst Zack shuffled his feet.

"You are a back alley _slut_"

Zack stood up between Maxxie and Maddie, his face stormy and his eyes burning with anger, "get OUT, Maxxie Fitzpatrick, before I make you regret what you just said" His voice was controlled but bubbling with rage.

"Make me!" she cried shrilly, making a few guests look around startled, "She is a dirty, back-stabbing whore, and _you're_ just as bad" She flounced away up the stairs making angry sighing noises as she went. Zack looked back at Maddie whose tears were dropping to the floor because she was watching her feet so intent on avoiding his gaze.

"Maddie, I-" Zack started but stopped, unsure what to say.

"I know." She gulped, "she got the wrong idea. Go after her" maddie shrugged.

Zack shuffled on the spot "Erm- I…"

His head was spinning with confusion; he was watching Maddie who was drying her eyes fiercely and straightening her skirt, thinking about powder-puff-maxxie with uncertainty.

"Bye, Zack" she nodded and disappeared.


	5. I Can't

I Can't

"Maxxie?" Zack knocked on the door again, "Maxxie, open the door"

"GO AWAY, ZACK MARTIN"

"Maxxie, just open the door"

The door flung open, Maxxie hadn't been crying at all, her make up was impeccable and possibly had been reapplied in the past few minutes.

"I don't want to talk to you, why don't you go and talk to my sister instead?" she snapped.

Zack forced his way inside the suite, "there's nothing going on between me and Maddie" he insisted, "There never has been"

Maxxie snorted unattractively, "I _saw_ you Zack,"

"You didn't see anything!" Zack cried, "Nothing happened."

"Ok, so tell me Zack, tell me the truth" Maxxie sat down and crossed her legs.

"Gladly" he replied.

"Tell me you're not in love with her".

Zack stepped a few paces backwards and felt a warm feeling well up in his chest like a lion breathing fire, he remembered those years he'd spent trying to impress her and her telling him she'd date him…if only he were her age and how he'd skipped back to his suite singing "Just 5 more years till Maddie will love me" over and over again. Dancing with her in his suite, dancing with her at the prom, watching her leave with all those different date's and sabotaging them selfishly, that week on the ship where she'd drawn him close and kissed him and how they'd wandered back to the ship hand in hand in silence. When she'd left she'd hugged everyone and when she'd reached him she'd gulped. "Bye, Zack" she'd stuttered and he'd offered his hand and they'd shook awkwardly. He remembered hours of phone calls from his mobile on the ship hearing about her life at Yale. He thought about dancing with her that very day and how she'd looked up expectantly into his face as if she wanted him to kiss her, but of course she didn't. He noted how her beauty was so natural her honey coloured hair and big brown eyes was compared to her sister's fake-ness. He also remembered his prom, his last prom, and wishing it was her he was dancing with and not the random girl he was swinging around.

"I can't"

Maxxie stood up, and pulled her hair back. "You can't?"

"I can't tell you I'm not in love with her"

Maddie walked around the hotel aimlessly, without direction, without real thoughts just faces and feelings flashing through her mind. The emptiness she'd felt when Zack had gone after Maxxie, a tingling feeling in her fingers and toes when he'd kissed her head, the guilt when she'd seen her little sisters face, even though she hadn't done anything to betray her. Had she committed thought betrayal? Did she really wish she had _done_ something…

No that's insane.

Zack no longer harboured that childish crush on her. He obviously liked her sister a lot. He didn't love her. He _didn't._

"Maddie!"

Was she even hearing his voice now? She'd seriously cracked.

"Maddie, wait!"

Oh no, it actually was him.

"Zack" she tried to pretend like she hadn't just been thinking about him, "did you find Maxxie"

Zack nodded, "Yeah."

"So everything is fine between you two?" she asked bitterly.

"I wouldn't exactly say that" Zack bit his lip. He wasn't sure how to act around Maddie now. He loved her for years and just flirted and made references to his crush on her, but he was a kid then, he was just infatuated with the gorgeous older girl. Now he knew real love, the heart skipping beats, shivery, shaky uncertain love he couldn't contain, Could he trust himself?

"I've got to go" he blurted, turned on his heels and ran up the stairs.


	6. The Curse

The Curse

Zack ran straight around the corner and straight in to Moseby.

"Why, why, why has nothing changed around here?" He sighed.

"Sorry, Moseby" Zack shrugged without a smile, "I didn't see you there."

Moseby was taken aback, "That's Ok…Zack" he said, a phrase alien to him, "I'm just showing Miss. Grant here around the hotel; she's going to be our new singer now Carey has left us"

Zack nodded, his mother had got a record contract and went on tour with her band and…oddly enough, had run into his father on her trip.

"Carey Martin was a fantastic singer," said Moseby proudly, "You have some large shoes to fill, Miss Grant"

Miss. Grant looked nervous and smiled a goofy wonky smile, a bit of red lipstick on her snaggle tooth. She laughed nervously and snorted, and Zack was struck with an idea.

"Ohh, yes." said Zack bestowing a winning smile on her and taking her arm, leading her away from Moseby "she was very talented, the hotel loves our singers, they used to chant her name every night outside her room, _carey carey carey, _the poor woman, with all her talent, well you know it just got to her in the end…she used to curl up in the corner of her single room, drink from the mini-bar and chant _Carey_ to herself all night all day until you know…they came for her"

Miss. Grant squeaked with fear, "they …came for her?" she whispered.

"It happens to a lot of the singers; oddly enough" Zack dropped his voice, "It's meant to be…the curse" Miss. Grant squeaked again.

"The curse?" she whispered airily. Zack nodded gravely.

"Moseby?" she fluttered back to his side, "I'm not so sure about this, I'll let you know ok?" and she ran out of the door, her hands covering her ears, whimpering with fear.

"Zack…" Moseby growled, "What did you _do_?"

"I just told her how much everyone loved my mom" he shrugged, "maybe she has stage fright"

"ZACK!" Moseby cried grabbing the cuff of his shirt and pulling him into the lobby, "You just scared away by only hope for the a resident singer! My only _hope_! Where am I meant to find a singer now?"

"Well…" Zack started his heart beating hard and fast in his chest, wishing his plan to work, "I know someone who would be perfect for it…"

"What!?" Maddie coughed, and spluttered her cocktail all over her magazine.

"Well do you want the job?" Moseby said impatiently, "I'm in a rush"

Maddie nodded frantically, "Oh my god, YES! But how did you know to ask me?"

Moseby smiled, "I got an anonymous tip"

"Zack…" Maddie saw the back of his head looking out over the pool.

"It's me" said Cody turning around and smiling.

"Oh, sorry" Maddie made a face, "Have you seen Zack?"

"He's upstairs, he hasn't come out of his room all day" said Cody worriedly, "do you know what is wrong with him?"

Maddie chewed her lip, "Haven't a clue"

Zack switched the channel on the TV for the tenth time that hour; nothing on television was interesting to him. He threw up some popcorn and caught it in his mouth. He couldn't believe he was back in the same place he had been 3 years ago, over eating and thinking about Maddie with all of his mind, knowing she didn't see him in that way. He had regressed to fifteen years old but this time, it was so much more complicated.

A knock on the door made him jump but the last thing he wanted was to make polite conversation with anyone.  
"I'm not in" He called. Damn it, that was stupid.

"Zack, it's me"

Maddie? What did she want? He wasn't sure whether to answer or not.  
"Answer the door"

Ok!

Zack pulled the door open and brushed the popcorn off his front, "Hiya Maddie, What's up?" he smiled, trying to act normal.

"Don't try to act normal" She pushed her way through the door, "Cody told me you've been in here all day"

"Err- yeah. I'm lazy. What's new?" he laughed.

"I know it was you that got me the job downstairs" she got straight to the point, reaching out and grasping his hand, "Thank you so much Zack, you don't know how much it means to me"

"Yes I do" he smiled, "I know you, you love singing and you love the hotel, even if it used to drive you mad sometimes"

Maddie squeezed his hand, "I'm sorry about Maxxie" she said.

Zack shrugged, "Its no big deal"

"Oh, yes, I forgot, Zack Martin the eternal womaniser" she digged him in the ribs.

"That hurts, Maddie" he said with a wink, "really, hurts"

"I don't know why she said…what she said" said Maddie awkwardly, "it's not like…you know…we did anything"

"I know" said Zack bitterly, throwing his bag of popcorn on the table and walking back to the sofa, "I know"

"Did you tell her that?" Maddie asked.

"Yes"

"And?"

"She asked me if I was still in love with you"


	7. Somewhere To Sleep Tonight

Somewhere to sleep tonight

"She asked me if I was still in love with you"

Maddie's chest imploded minutely on its self and she could feel her heart beating against her ribs. She could have always thought and wondered about how Zack felt about her now, but he was about to confirm her worst fears and it would be all over.

"And you told her, of course that, you're not?" Maddie said, watching the carpet.

Zack held his strong stance on the table, grabbing it so hard his knuckles were whitened. Did he tell her a lie, say that he'd gotten over that stupid crush years ago, or did he tell her the truth and risk her telling him for the millionth time that he was just a brother to her.

And then it would all be over

"I-"

Could she stop this? Maddie thought wildly if she just told him how she felt, would he consider trying to feel what he used to feel? Want what he used to want?

"Err-"

If he just says it, well, it would be nothing new…to be rejected would it? Or would she see him as that kid again?

"Zack, STOP" Maddie blurted out. Zack raised his eyebrows, what was she doing? Her face was red and flushed, her hands reached out and gripped his shirt, they were trembling.

"Don't say it" she said "Don't say you got over it when you were fifteen, don't say you see me as a friend now, don't say it."

"Pardon?"

"Seeing you now, you're a man, Zack. You really are. I loved you when you were 12 because I knew what kind of beautiful man you'd turn in to, but now, Zack, I just love _you_"

"You love …me?" Zack was too gob-smacked.

"I know it's crazy" she looked away, "it's insane, but when you touched my sister I wanted to hit you, not because it was my sister but because it wasn't me. When you stopped flirting with me I started to crave it. You're like an addiction, Zack. I always wanted you to stop but secretly it made me happy, and when you did finally stop, I started wishing you hadn't.

"And when you did that for me, got me the job of my dreams…well, Zack, I knew. I knew that no one else would look after me like you do. And now I want to look after you"

Maddie stood on her tip-toes and kissed him, the kiss was tender and soft, but full of years of longing. After what felt like 10 sun-lit days, Zack pulled away.

"I've always loved you, Maddie" he said quietly, "Nothing changed, and now I'm the happiest guy in the world"

He bounded away and jumped on the sofa, punching the air, then scooped Maddie up in his arms and swung her around and around until she cried out in laughter, and the two, beaming with happiness and relief, collapsed on the sofa in laughter.

"About time" thought Cody through the crack in the door, and walked away down the corridor, realising with a smile that he might have to find somewhere to sleep tonight.


End file.
